Being a captain of a sport is a leadership position that is not taken lightly. Captains must be responsible team players and are trusted to lead the team in the right direction. Several students here at Prep have taken on the challenge of being captains in not just one, but two sports.
A captain must have a growth mindset. Being positive and uplifting is easy when the team is winning, but how they respond to adversity is what sets individuals apart. Senior Megan Moffitt ‘24 was a captain for the girls’ basketball program as well as a current girls’ lacrosse captain this spring and emphasized her responsibility to inspire and motivate the team. She stated, “With basketball and lacrosse, there were highs and lows, which is a given for any team, but a big responsibility as a captain is to stay positive and encourage the team.” Fostering a supportive environment leads to success and connections beyond the fields of play.
Senior Emory Bozzuti ‘24 expressed her value of inclusion as a captain of both the girls’ soccer and track team. She has learned to recognize that even the most reserved of players need to feel included to maintain connection and chemistry. She knows it’s her job to include everyone, cheer them on, and hype them up, emphasizing “No one wants to be left out!”
Cultivating a fun, while also competitive, environment is important to keeping players motivated and engaged. Competition pushes athletes to give their best and strive for improvement. At the same time, having fun makes the experience enjoyable and helps build camaraderie among teammates. Moffitt believes that “keeping that fun aspect of sports is one of the main reasons why we all do it.”
As a captain, Moffitt has committed to maintaining team chemistry and bonds through this value of fun. It reminds players of the joy of sports and prevents burnout.
Both Moffitt and Bozzuti referenced the upperclassmen captains who came before them and whom they looked up to as role models. They were the ones who made their first experiences in sports at Prep something to look forward to and now Moffitt and Bozzuti have striven to pay it forward to the next group of panthers. When asked about what she’s hoped to have shown underclassmen through her leadership, Bozzuti said, “I hope I’ve shown them how much fun being part of an athletic community can be and that it’s more than just that; it’s a family as well.”
As these seniors move on, they will take what they’ve learned from being captains to succeed in workplaces, collegiate-level sports, and even relationships. As captains, they were not just teaching, but also learning important values of collaboration, effort, and communication.
